Solar-powered pleasure boat gets design overhaul

The Loon is a well-known North American water bird that appears on the Canadian one-dollar coin (hence the "Loonie"). It's also the name of a solar-equipped pontoon boatfrom Ontario-based Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company. The Loon is in the process of receiving a major design overhaul, courtesy of the team responsible for the radical teardrop shaped Aptera 2eelectric car.

The 22-foot long revamped Loon design can cover an estimated 35 miles a day at a maximum of around seven knots using solar energy, and features a light-weight twin-hull composite construction with a flexible interior configuration and removable side-rails made from bamboo, natural fibers and recycled plastic.

The roof, which holds the craft's 1000W solar panel array, can also be power-lowered onto the rails for easier transportation on terra firma, and when its AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) batteries are recharged, the excess power generated while the boat is in dock can be fed back into the grid.

There are no detailed performance specs or confirmed timeframe for a launch at this stage, but according to Autobloggreen, the Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company plans to begin production mid-year at its new factory in Buffalo, New York.